Sanitary brush



April 17, 1945. F. sATz Erm.

SANITARY BRUSH Filed Dec. 4, 1943 INVENTOR. Fen/VK .54Tz By MEL B52/v5Patented Apr. 17, 1945 SANITARY BRUSH Frank Satz and Mel Berns, LosAngeles, Calif.; said Satz assigner of one-half of his right to SamuelSontag, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application December 4, 1943, Serial No. 512,904

6 Claims.

This invention relates to sanitary brushes of the `general characterembodied in our United States Patent No. 2,205,601, issued June 25,1940, and wherein is disclosed and claimed a brush holder by which thebrush bristles can be protected against contamination during periods ofnon-use of the brush.

An object of the present invention is to provide a sanitary brush havingall the structural and functional advantages of the patented brush aboveidentified, and, in addition, embodies novel actuating means for thebrush bristles by which the housing sections on the handle can beoperated to enclose the brush bristles or expose same for use in amaximum projected position with a minimum amount of movement of theactuating means and eiort on the part of the operator, while affordingmaximum space for the brush bristles in the compact housing-formingsections when closed, as well as eliminating in the handle, anyeXteriorly visible mounting means for the housing sections which mightcollect foreign substances, whereby to further promote the sanitaryadvantage of the brush.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sanitary brush of theabove described character in which the actuating structure for thehousing sections includes resilient means normally urging the housingVsections to open position, with an axiallymovable actuating membercarrying the brush bristles and correlated with the resilient means andhousing sections to positively move the latter to, and maintain them inclosed position against the biasing action of the resilient means,according as the actuating member is moved to one or the other of itsextreme positions of axial adjustment, al1 in such manner that with thesections of the housing closed, initial movement of the actuating memberfrom one extreme position will render the resilient means free to openthe vhousing sections so that the brush bristles will not be obstructedor deformed by the housing sections, and will be concurrently projectedfrom the housing a maximum amount in response to a minimum axialmovement of the actuating member.

With these and other objects in view, the invention resides in thecombinations and arrangements of elements as set forth in the followingspecification and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing,

Figure 1 is a view showing in side elevation, one form of sanitary brushembodying this invention Figure 2 is a longitudinal axial sectional viewof the sanitary brush with the brush bristles retracted into, and sealedby the housing;

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 2 and showing the brush bristlesprojected from the housing for use;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional View taken on the line4-11 of Figure 3;

Figures 5 and 6 are transverse sectional views taken on the lines 5--5and 6 5, respectively, of Figure 2;

Fig-ure 7 is a perspective View of one of the sections of the housing;and I Figure 8 is a perspective View of the resilient urging meanscommon to the housing sections.

Referring specifically to the drawing, the invention in its illustratedembodiment comprises a handle designated generally at H and consistingof shank II having a tapered portion I2 merging at its smaller end intoa cylindrical portion I3. The shank II is provided with a cir cular,longitudinally extending bore I4 opening at one end to the free end.'vof the portion I3, and

at its other end to a cylindrical pocket I5 open-v ing to the larger endof the portion I2.

The freeend of the tapered portion I2 is pro vided with an annular lipI6 and with an internal annular rib Il lco-acting with said lip to denneaxial and radial shoulders I8 and I9 respectively, for the mounting oftwo identically constructed housing sections 2D of a housing 2l. Each ofsaid housing sections 20, which is semicircular in radial -or crosssection, is provided with an arcuate groove 22 (Figure 7) adapted tofreely receive the ri-b I 1, and forming axially spaced shoulders 23 and24 co-acting with the rib I1 to rockably mount the housing sections onthe handle H for movement laterally towards` and away from each other tooccupy either the closed position shown in Figure 2, or the openposition shown in Figure 3.

In closed position, the housing sections 20 coact to define a closedchamber 25 (Figure 2) for a brushing element 26 having bristles 2'I andsecured to one end of a mounting and actuating member 28 in the form ofa non-circular rod which is square in cross section in the presentinstance. The member 28 extends freely through the bore I4 of the handleH and is shouldered down and externally threaded at its other end as'indicated at 29.

A cupshaped cap 30 which telescopically receives the cylindrical portionI3 of the handle, is provided at its bottom or closed end With athreaded socket 3IIa to enable the cap to be ure 3, a resilient means inthe form of a generally U-shaped spring S is provided and is constructedfrom fiat strip stock to provide two oppositely curved and relativelyflaring arms 3l connected at one end by a substantially square base rplate 32 having a square opening 33 therethrough slidably receiving thesquare lactuating member 28 to prevent relative rotation between thelatter and spring.

The spring S has its spring arms 3l projecting into the housing sections20 so as to be interposed between the latter and the actuating member2'8 while the base plate 32 rests against the bottom wall 35 of thepocket l5, to the end of normally urging the housing sections away .fromeach other, all as clearly shown in Figures 3 and 4.

The actuating member 28 is provided with means for positively moving thehousing sections to closed position in opposition to the spring S, whichcomprises a conoidal-shaped cam 3B bearing against the confronting sidesof the spring arms 3l at a point substantially opposite to the fulcrumpoints of the housing sections upon the handle H so as t0 react upon thehousing sections through the medium of the spring arms, in positivelymaintaining the housing sections closed with their confronting hat faces31 in tightly sealed engagement as shown in Figure 1.

under the actions of the spring S and the cam 36, all without presentingany exteriorly visible fulcrum structure on the handle which mightcollect dirt and detract from the smooth, streamlined appearance of thehandle. Furthermore, as the squareactuating member 28 and the spring Scannot relatively rotate, and as the spring is confined under stress inoperative relation to the handle and housing sections, and thus does notturn, the brush head is maintained with its width parallel to the jointbetween the housing sections as shown in Figures 3 and 4, so as to moveclear of the housing sections during axial movement of the brushingelement by the cap 311.

We claim:

l. A deviceV of the Yclass described comprising: a handle;I a pluralityof housing sections rocka'bly mounted on the handle to occupy open andclosed positions; means adapted to mount a brush from the handle formovement to occupy retracted and projected positions; `rrieans'fio-acting with said mounting means and housing sections t0 yieldinglyurge the latter to open position; and

means carried by said mounting means' by which j a handle; a pluralityof housing sections rook- In operation, and with the housing sections 25n in their closed position shown in Figure 2, initial axial motion ofthe handle H to project the brushing element 26 from the housingsections will release the latter from the positive action of the cam 3Gin maintaining the housing sections closed, thus rendering the tightlycontractedarms 3l of the spring S free to expand and rock the housingsections about the rib il as a fulcrum, tothe open position shown inFigure 3. During this movement, the brushing element is advanced betweenthe open housing sections and clearrof the latter to its fully projectedposition shown in' this figure, for use of the brushing element asdesired.

Upon reversely moving the cap 30 axially of the handle H, the brushingelement 26 will be r'etracted between the housing sections 20' and willbe disposed wholly between the latter' before the cam 36 has reached aposition approaching the rib Il, wherein the cam will begin to exertoutward pressure upon the spring arms 3l, which latter react bytransmitting this force to the housing sections at a point beyond thefulcrum points of the housing sections, thus reversing or nulli-ying thenormal urging action of the arms 3| upon the housing sections. Thus thehousing sections will be positively moved to and then locked tightly inclosed position with the brushing element adequately protected againstcontamination.

It will be noted that by virtue of the outward force exerted by the arms3l against the housing sections, the latter will be urged firmly intoengagement `with the rib I'l and the fulcrum-forming shoulders: i8' andi9 so as to be securely' held against axial displacement outwardly fromthe handle, yet will be free to rock upon the latter ably mounted on.the handle to occupy Open d closed positions;y an actuating memberreciproc'ably' mounted in the handle and adapted to sup'- port a brushfor movement tooc'cupy a retracted position within the housing sectionswhen closed, and a projected position exposed for use when the housingksections are open; agene'rally uU -sl'iap'ed spring having a portionwith an opening" through which the actuating member passes, and arms onopposite sides of the actuating niernloerA engaging the housing sectionsto urge the latter to open position; and means on the actuating memberadapted to bear against said arms' to positively move the housingsections to closed position or render said arms free to move thehousing' se'ctions to open position according as the actuating member isoperated to' retract or project the brush. I

3. A device of the class `described comprising: a handle; a plurality ofhousing sections' rockably mounted on the handlel to occupy open andclosed positions; an actuating rod of non-'circular cross sectionreciprocably mounted in theha'ndle and adapted to support a brush formovement to occupy a retracted position within the housing sections whenclosed, and a projected position exposed for usewhen thel housingsections ar'e open; a generally U-'shaped spring having a base platewith a non-circular opening non-rotatively and slidably receiving saidactuating rod, and arms on opposite sides of the latter urging thehousing sections toopen position; and a cam on the' actuating rodadapted to bear against said arms to move the housing sections to closedposition; or render said arms free to move the housing' sections to openposition according as the actuating rod is operated toA retract orproject thebrush.-

4. A device of the class described comprising: a handle; a housing" onthe handle composed'v of a' plurality of seotions means' definingflcu'ms on the handle mounting the liousing sectl'onsvfor rockingmovements to occupy open and closedl po'- sitions; an actuating memberreciprocably mounted in the handle and adapted to support a brush formovement to occupy retracted and projected positions; spring means inthe handle engaging the housing sections to urge same to projectedposition; and means on the actuating member movable by the latter to oneside or the other of said fulcrums to accordingly close the housingsections as the brush is retracted, or render the spring means free toopen the vhousing sections as the brush is projected.

5. A device of the class described comprising: a hollow handle having anannular lip at one end and an internal annular rib deningfulcrum-forming shoulders in the handle; housing sections having groovesreceiving said rib and bearing upon said shoulders to movably mount saidsections in the handle to occupy open and closed positions;` meansadapted to reciprocably mount a brush from the handle for movement tooccupy retracted and projected positions; resilient means for yieldinglyurging the housing sections to open position in response to projectingmovement of the brush so as to expose the brush for use; and means forpositively moving the housing sections to closed position against theopening action of said resilient means to enclose the brush, duringretracting movement of the brush.

6. A device of the closs described comprising: a handle; housingsections fulcrumed in one end of the handle for movement to occupy openand closed positions; an actuating member reciprocably mounted in thehandle and supporting a brush for movement from retracted to projectedposition; spring means including arms interposed between said actuatingmember and housing sections to urge the latter to open position when thebrush is projected; and a cam on said actuating member disposed toengage and reverse the functioning of the arms by forcing the latter tomove the housing sections to closed position when the brush isretracted.

FRANK SATZ. MEL BERNS.

